Now in his ninth season overall with the Missouri State program, B.J. Stotser will start his fourth season as a full-time member of the coaching staff in 2014.

Stotser first came to the MSU program in August of 2006 as a graduate assistant during Terry Allen's first season at MSU and assisted long-time defensive backs coach Rob Bolks in the Bears' secondary. During his time as a graduate assistant, he served as a lab professor for PED 100 courses and assisted with anatomy labs for the Health, Physical Education and Leisure professors.

He maintained his status as a GA through the 2008 season when he completed his master's in sports management from MSU.

In December 2008, he stayed on with the MSU staff as a volunteer assistant, continuing to work with the defensive backs, but also assuming additional duties such as advance scouting, breaking down game film, defensive game plan and scouting reports, defensive signal implementation and press box coaching on game day.

During the spring of 2010, Stotser changed over to assist with outside linebackers before current OLB assistant coach Wayne Chambers officially began his coaching tenure.

He joined the staff on a full-time basis on June 27, 2011 and helped mold a young MSU secondary with then-freshmen Caleb Schaffitzel and Mike Crutcher accounting for 18 combined starts at safety. Crutcher earned MVFC All-Newcomer honors and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award as the top FCS freshman player in the nation while Schaffitzel has since gone on to earn All-America honors the past two seasons.

Stotser also helped coach standout corner Jimmie Strong who earned All-MVFC second-team honors in 2011 and broke an MSU record at the time with a 91-yard interception return for a touchdown at Western Illinois.

In 2012, the Bears ranked 33rd nationally in pass defense, giving up less than 200 yards per game while surrendering just 158.1 yards per game in conference play. The Bears' secondary quadrupled its interception total from 2011 with cornerbacks Sybhrian Berry, Howard Scarborough and James Caine combining for 119 tackles and 3 picks.

Last fall, the Bears boasted arguably the best defensive secondary in the MVFC with starting corners Berry and Scarborough earning All-MVFC second-team honors after combining for 23 starts, 128 tackles and 4 of the team's 17 interceptions which ranked second in the MVFC.

The native of Wellsburg, Iowa, played his college football at Northern Iowa where he was part of three MVFC championship teams in 2001, 2003 and 2005. The 2001 squad reached the NCAA Division I FCS semifinals, while the 2005 Panthers advanced to the FCS title game in a 21-16 loss to Appalachian State.

The standout cornerback at UNI completed his bachelor of arts in physical education with an emphasis in sports psychology and a minor in coaching in December 2005.

Stotser and his wife, Liz, reside in Springfield. The couple has a daughter, Lilia, who turns three in November.